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This paper reports an evaluation of the Aunties and Uncles Co-operative Family Project Ltd, founded 30 years ago, that connects community volunteers (aunts and uncles) with disadvantaged children in the Sydney area, New South Wales, Australia. A postal survey was used which included both open and closed questions regarding the volunteer aunts, uncles, parents, coordinators, nieces and nephews' satisfaction with the project. Demographic data was also collected. Responses from the survey were statistically analysed using SPSS software. Responses to the open ended questions were transcribed and coded. The findings from the study indicated that the experiences were positive for all stakeholders with volunteers and coordinators finding the project personally rewarding and parents receiving respite and support. The children enjoyed new experiences by going to different places and undertaking activities. Recommendations include increased volunteer training and guidelines for difficult situations, increased support for coordinators and more structured activities for all participants. The findings indicate the reciprocal benefits to all participants. These significant benefits reflect the philosophy of the Aunties & Uncles Co-operative Family Project Ltd.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to consider the impact that an eating disorder had on the family, particularly the parents. The objective was to give a voice to parents in order to develop new understandings of their experience leading to more appropriate clinical decision-making., Background: The impact of an eating disorder on family life has not been well-documented in the published literature. There are numerous articles from the sufferer's perspective and treatment modalities. The following paper describes a component of a larger study that explored the parent's perspective of having a child with an eating disorder., Design: Nineteen mothers and three fathers from Sydney, Australia, volunteered to be interviewed as the result of advertisements placed in parent support organization newsletters and by using the snowballing technique., Methods: A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was used to explore parents' experiences of having a child/adult child with an eating disorder. Themes were identified through in depth analysis., Results: Themes that were extrapolated from this research included, family unification or disintegration, parent's inability to cope, inconsiderate comments from significant others, social isolation and financial impacts., Conclusions: This study reports five overarching effects on family life. The authors conclude that one way in which the life of parents and families could be improved would be increased involvement and integration into the treatment process. For this to happen, health professionals would need to acknowledge the family as a resource., Relevance to Clinical Practice: This research documents the family struggle and highlights the current omissions concerning the family's role. The need for changes to clinical practice is substantiated. It requires health professionals to scrutinize their own clinical practice and consider modification of the treatment process.

Eating disorders are a major concern in Western society. The journey that parents undertake when their child has suffered from an eating disorder has been rarely reported. The aim of this research was to explore the parents' journey using in depth interviews. Twenty-two parents from New South Wales, Australia, volunteered to be interviewed as a result of advertisements placed in parent support organisation newsletters and by using a snowballing technique. Four aspects of the journey that the parents took when their child was ill are reported in this paper. The research findings are taken directly from the accounts provided by parents. These parents' stories will be of interest to health professionals working with families in the area of eating disorders.

The authors investigated the experiences of parents with children/adult children in metropolitan Sydney, Australia who were living with, or had recovered from, an eating disorder. During regular team meetings, the research assistant who conducted the interviews had described her reactions which led the research team to investigate her experience in more depth. The aim of the present paper was to explore the impact on the research assistant who conducted 22 in-depth interviews with the parents. One of the members of the research team interviewed the research assistant to elicit her reactions. The interview was content analyzed and the following themes were identified: (i). appreciation of an egalitarian model of research; (ii). the emotions expressed by the research assistant; (iii). making sense of the inexplicable and (iv). reflections and comparison to her own life role. The research team would like to advance the theory that the adoption of a formal debriefing mechanism be integrated into the qualitative research process.

The experiences of parents with a child with anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa were explored and this article aims to present one component of that study: parents' interactions with health professionals. The research was initiated after anecdotal stories from parents led the authors to undertake a literature review, which revealed a paucity of published research on this topic. Twenty-two interviews were conducted with volunteer parents from New South Wales, Australia. A descriptive qualitative design was used and themes were identified through in-depth analysis. Six themes were identified: finding help, feeling shut out, engagement, images portrayed, being resourceful and parents not prepared to give up. The implications for health professionals include that they acknowledge parental involvement in recovery. We urge the nursing profession, particularly mental health nurses, to work towards establishing collaborative partnerships between families & health professionals in order to achieve a better health outcome for all.